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While Brendan Fraser was already an established actor in the ’90s, thanks toEncino ManandGeorge of the Jungle, it wasThe Mummyfranchise that propelled his career to new heights. However, working on the acclaimed adventure horror wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the Oscar winner, as his inclination to perform his own stunts would end up taking a toll on his health.
Stephen Sommers, who directed the first twoMummyfeatures, recalled Fraser’s fearless spirit on set, which led him to nearly choke himself after a rope stunt went wrong.
Brendan Fraser Passed out After Botching a Rope Stunt
Throughout his tenure inThe Mummyfranchise,Brendan Fraserwas adamant about performing his stunts by himself. Recounting Fraser’s fearless spirit on the set ofThe Mummy, directorStephen Sommersshed light on the incident of the actor nearly choking himself to death. Sommers recalled that throughout the two films,“We kind of beat the cr-p out of him”, and on one occasion, theWhalestar passed out while performing a rope stunt.
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Considering the noose was really tight around his neck, once Fraser put too much pressure on his carotid arteries, it knocked him out.
Sommers toldTHR:
“Everybody talks about the scene when he gets hung. Usually when somebody gets hung, it’s a dummy, and that’s why they put bags over people’s heads. Brendan was always gung-ho, and he was like, “Make the noose really tight on me.” Then he decided to let his knees sag a little bit. But what he forgot is that the minute you put that much pressure on your carotid arteries, it knocks you out. We all looked, and he’s completely unconscious.”
Fortunately, the actor recovered shortly after, asSommersrecalled that Fraser regained consciousness after 10 seconds, and his first words were“What happened?”
Self-Loathing Contributed to Brendan Fraser’s Obsession With Performing Stunts
In an interview withThe Telegraph, Fraser shared that self-loathing pushed him to perform his own stunts, as he had discomfort dealing with fame during his initial years in Hollywood.
“Absolutely there was self-loathing. I think on some level I felt I deserved [a beating], and wanted to be the one who got in the first punch.”
However, his adamancy to engage in stunts on a regular basis ended up being detrimental to both his mental and physical health. As a result, the actor had to undergo several surgeries, including a partial knee replacement and a lumbar laminectomy within a span of seven years.
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The MummyandThe Mummy Returnsare available to stream on Peacock.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2540
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
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Brendan FraserStephen Sommers
